Falcons Training Camp: 3 To Watch Offensive Line
Football games are won and lost in the trenches, a particularly telling fact that reflects poorly on the Atlanta Falcons' line play over the past several seasons.
Now seeking to get back to the playoffs for the first time since the 2017 campaign, the Falcons, who didn't make any drastic changes up front, appear poised to roll out the same starting five that led them to a 7-10 season in coach Arthur Smith's first year.
From left to right, Jake Matthews, Jalen Mayfield, Matt Hennessy, Chris Lindstrom, and Kaleb McGary will enter camp as the first-team offensive line, though a few are less safe than others.
With reasons varying from potential battles for playing time to long-term futures with the plan, here are three to watch along the Falcons' offensive line.
Jalen Mayfield
A third-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Mayfield started all 16 games that he appeared in at left guard during his rookie season.
After playing right tackle at the University of Michigan, Mayfield was forced to learn a new position in one offseason while adapting to the speed and strength of NFL defensive lineman.
The experience was exactly how one would expect - largely up-and-down, but for the most part, a battle. Mayfield led the league in sacks allowed with a staggering 11 and racked up 9 penalties, tied for 8th-most.
Now entering year two with a full offseason under his belt, all eyes are on Mayfield to see whether or not he takes a step forward. NFL players often experience their biggest jump in performance from year one to year two, a trend Atlanta is certainly hoping applies to Mayfield.
The Falcons drafted Georgia left guard Justin Shaffer in the sixth round earlier this offseason, a selection largely geared toward adding depth but could become one that generates competition for the starting spot next to Jake Matthews as the season progresses.
Still, Atlanta will give Mayfield every opportunity to prove he can be the team's left guard moving forward. However, if he performs poorly in training camp, look for Shaffer - or a potential outside addition - to get a chance, as the Falcons can't afford a repeat of 2021 from the left guard position.
Drew Dalman
Perhaps the biggest storyline out of OTAs was Dalman and Hennessy splitting snaps at center on the first team. A 2021 fourth-round selection out of Stanford, Dalman appeared in every game on special teams during his rookie season but didn't earn any starts.
Dalman, 23, saw the majority of his work with the offense in Weeks 12 and 13, when the Falcons rotated him and Hennessy throughout the contests.
With Atlanta continuing to allow Dalman to push Hennessy, who started all 17 games a year ago, in camp is a clear indication that the team is open to change. Now, it's up to Dalman to take charge of the opportunity.
A clear weakness of Dalman's game during his opening act was his overall play strength. Much like Mayfield, Dalman has now had a full offseason to add strength after seeing how he stacked up compared to NFL defensive lineman.
The Falcons' coaching staff has made it clear that snaps - and the starting position - are up for grabs, and if Dalman, the son of former NFL offensive lineman Chris Dalman, outperforms Hennessy in the preseason, there's no reason to think the staff won't give him a chance Week 1.
Germain Ifedi
The Falcons declined McGary's fifth-year option earlier this offseason, an indication that the team doesn't see the former first-round pick as a part of its future.
With Smith and the rest of Atlanta's new regime having no ties to McGary and his 2021 season featuring nine sacks allowed, it's reasonable to believe the Falcons may seek alternative options if he gets off to a rough start.
Enter Ifedi, one of Atlanta's six free agent additions from the Chicago Bears. A 2016 first-round pick from Texas A&M, Ifedi has started 83 of 85 career games on the right side of the offensive line, bouncing around from guard to tackle.
Falcons offensive coordinator Dave Ragone and quarterbacks coach Charles London were on Chicago's offensive staff when the team started Ifedi for 16 games in 2020, but he did so at right guard, where Lindstrom is a mainstay.
Thus, there's a lot of questions to be answered by Ifedi, starting in training camp. Despite struggling at right tackle throughout his career, can he push McGary for reps at the position? Considering the Falcons sought out Ifedi's services, it's not a far-out possibility.
Before the question can be fully answered, the team needs to decide where Ifedi will play - guard or tackle? Perhaps the solution is to let him be a versatile backup on the right side, but with Ifedi's wealth of starting experience, it seems probable that he'll be given a chance to compete for snaps, adding fresh blood to a unit desperately searching for answers.
